Katharina Bjelland

Reflections on consumer culture, identity and language

Katharina Bjelland is a Norwegian visual artist working with found materials, text, print and sculpture. Finding inspiration in everyday objects and situations, her artistic practice is based on an investigation of perception and consumption as incentives and rewards, commenting on desire and the middle-class pursuit of materialism.

Background and inspiration

She went from a career in business administration to following her passion for art. Her interest in making things and seeing art led her to Stavanger and the art school there.

Deconstructing disposable packaging, brands, brand identities and slogans, Bjelland sheds light on our daily choices through how we constantly optimize our performance in relation to ourselves, our family and our social life. Her work encompasses a variety of media, including cyanotype, screen printing, Giclée printing and embroidery.

Exploring identity through everyday objects

Bjelland explores identity in everyday life and the constant balance between work, health and consumption. Through found materials and artistic methods such as text, print and sculpture, she humorously and ironically reflects on consumption patterns and societal roles. Her work revolves around the daily struggle to optimize production at all levels and at all times.

Aesthetic and conceptual value

Bjelland’s work explores not only consumer culture, but also the aesthetics and form of the objects she works with, as well as the question of originality and the value of art objects. Bjelland values originality in art in the form of a new interpretation, recontextualization or reflection of an existing work or object. In her work, the value of art objects is linked to their history, context and ability to question and recreate meanings in a new context.